Conventional broadcast spreaders and their associated control mechanisms do not provide a convenient mechanism for adjusting the aperture of the spreader gate. Most often, broadcast spreaders include an adjustment dial that is located at or near the spreader's hopper. This is inconvenient, because the user must reach past the spreader handle to adjust the gate's aperture, and that often involves ceasing pushing of the spreader, which in turn ceases the disbursement of the material in the hopper. It is therefore difficult for the user to gauge the amount of adjustment that is appropriate without resuming pushing the spreader, observing the amount of disbursement and then potentially repeating that same cycle one or more times. Other conventional broadcast spreaders may include an adjustment dial closer to the handle, but such dials still require the user to remove at least one hand from the handlebar(s) of the spreader, which may also require the user to again cease pushing the spreader.